Chevy’s GMC Motorhome is the best Chevy ever made.
GMC Motorhome is gone but not forgotten. It was originally designed as a six-wheeled recreational vehicle. The front-wheel-drive layout allowed for the removal of the rear body cap, allowing for a large opening that allows you to load the cabin with all the furniture and appliances.
The Motorhome was launched in 1972. It came in two versions: a Model 230 specification, which had a length of 23 feet (7 meters), a wheelbase of 140 inches (3600mm), and a Model 260 that measured 26 feet (7.9m) and a wheelbase of 160 inches (4.1m). It was completely designed, engineered and built by GMC, unlike other RVs of that era. For those who want to customize the interior for different purposes such as turning it into an ambulance or mail delivery vehicle, the TransMode shell variant was available.
A photo posted by GMPhotoStore this week on Facebook shows that General Motors had also considered the possibility of creating an Chevrolet equivalent. Although information is limited, what you see is a clay (or aluminum?) version. Model from July 1972, the same year that production began for the Motorhome. Chevy’s version was slightly different, with flat windows and a wraparound windshield. This would have made it more affordable to make than the GMC.
The model appears full-scale, with a revised front fascia that features quad headlights and turn signals below. It is similar to the Motorhome’s. The grille was simpler than the GMC version, and the front bumper didn’t have a full chrome finish like the GMC model. The side profile looks like it is based on the shorter version and has the moniker “Chalet Royale” written beneath the window. It is likely that the name was chosen to refer to “chalet” – a wooden home found in the Swiss Alps.
It is not clear why Chevy’s Motorhome version wasn’t approved alongside the GMC. The GMC was a victim to the oil crisis in 1978 and went out of production in 1979. Before the production facilities were repurposed for truck output, almost 13,000 units were produced in this time period.